Walking Behind
by nvrl8emt
Summary: When all they both really needed was something a little less complicated but something that lasted, Michael and Francesca attempt to find that something better. In the meantime, Michael has to figure out how he's going to make things work in his new life while being a father to his child with Nelle. This story is Michael/Francesca centric!
1. Walking Behind

Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or any of the characters from the show. Any character names that don't look familiar are creations of my own. And yes, the first few lines of dialogue are straight from the end of Michael and Francesca's first date, but it fit perfectly with truly starting their story.

Michael's POV -

Honestly, I just want something new in my life. I want to be able to move away from things with Nelle. She just isn't the woman I had thought she was. She is just like my mom and dad described her and I was seeing it all unfold before my eyes. And I really thought that I would be able to move on and start over. But Nelle has truly messed that up for me. I'm still standing on the docks with the girl I'd just been out at Kelly's with for coffee. She really is the kind of girl that I think I can be happy with. I turn as I hear Francesca calling out to me as she walked away. "Hey!"

"Yeah." I called back.

"Save my number in your phone. Just in case… I don't know… Just… save it?"

"I will." I replied, watching the way a smile lit her face before she turned and left me alone on the docks. Because honestly, I would. There was just something about this beautiful girl that drew me in. She was amazing and everything that I could want in my life.

I'm hoping that we can figure out a way to get around this whole issue of Nelle. I know that Nelle thinks that I'm the love of her life, but I'm not. There really is nothing between us other than the baby. Our child is the only thing that will keep us connected and the sooner that she figures that out, the better. I can't be with someone that is going to lie to me or try to manipulate me to get her way. And I can't let her do the same to our child once he or she is here. But that's something to figure out the legal way once the baby is born.

Looking out over the water, I stared at Wyndemere in the distance. Francesca compliments me perfectly. She's beautiful, smart, funny… And I'd love to get to know her better. I can see something there forming, but she's leary because of the complications in my life at this time. She doesn't seem to have a problem with the fact that I'm about to be a father, it's more of the fact that Nelle stepped in and tried to infer that she and I were still something. I explained that Nelle and I are definitely over and that we won't be getting back together. The baby is our only connection and will be our only connection. Now I just have to figure out a way to make my ex realize that. Closing my eyes, I breath in deeply and nod my head. "Time to make a change." I say softly to myself.

It's time for a fresh start. First thing in the morning, I'll get with mom and get a room at the Metro Court. I'm going to look for my own place, something big enough so my child will have plenty of room to grow. I know that mom and dad would love to have me back out at Greystone, especially now that Grandpa Mike has been diagnosed with alzheimer's. But really, I don't want to be under foot. I don't want mom thinking that she'll be able to control my life even though she seems to really like Francesca. She doesn't even know her yet, not really. I would love to introduce Francesca to my family, I would love to be able to call her my girlfriend, but neither of us is really ready for that. Not until I get my life together. Not until I clear up my 'complications'. Not until Nelle realizes that our only relationship will be co-parenting our child.

Francesca's POV -

I was really having a good time with Michael. He just seems like a genuinely good guy, the kind of guy that I can really see having in my life for years to come. He's sweet and funny and really, really good looking. So much better than the last guy I was seeing. Yeah, I'm still somewhat new to Port Charles, but I have learned a few things since I've been here. I used apps at first in order to meet new people, mainly to have dates. But people are completely different when you meet them in person compared to what information they provide. Most of the guys that I met were just looking for sex.

I walk into my apartment and reach down after closing my door to pull off my heels. I really thought that this first date with Michael could go somewhere. I want it to go somewhere, I just don't know if I'm up to dealing with his ex-girlfriend. He's going to be a father in just a few months and wow! I hadn't expected that, but I'm glad that he was going to tell me about it. Yeah, it would have been nice to have been able to hear it from him instead of that girl Nelle basically tossing it in my face. She lead me to believe that she and Michael were living together and yeah, they are…

Just not the way that she was implying. He cleared that up for me. And I can completely understand why he didn't want to just tell me everything just as we sat down and flirted over cover. Telling me first thing that he was about to be a father and that his grandmother had moved his pregnant ex-girlfriend into the family home is a lot for anyone to take it. But it can truly end a first date. It kind of did end our first date just as we were making plans to check out this really great band together. Someone does need to update his taste in music, especially if he's willing to settle for music that's 'not that bad'.

Sighing, I let my heels drop from my hand as I thought back over our coffee date. Man, I had been hoping for so much more. I thought he could be different than the other losers I'd been out with. Not that Michael's a loser, he just seemed… different. And he is. He's sweet and honestly, I wanna give him a chance to show me that he's not some guy who's looking for his next hookup. I don't think that's him at all. I move further into my apartment, stopping at the window and peering out up towards the moon. My phone buzzed in my purse and I pull it out.

' _I had a nice time tonight. Thank you.'_ My text read and I couldn't help the soft smile that came to my features. He really is a nice guy and I can't stop myself from sending him a quick reply. ' _That ticket is still yours if you're still up for the benefit.'_ I send. And I mean it. I really want to introduce Michael to the band, spice up his musical choices. I really want to give him a chance and to see just where this could go. Because I can see a future with a guy like Michael and I do want to give him that chance. Tomorrow is a new day afterall and I head off to my bedroom to get ready to go to bed.


	2. Can't Stop This Feeling

Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or any of the characters from the show. Any character names that don't look familiar are creations of my own. And yes, the first few lines of dialogue are straight from the end of Michael and Francesca's first date, but it fit perfectly with truly starting their story.

Francesca's POV -

"So you got in really early last night." my roommate Kaitlyn said on a yawn. Really I had gotten in a lot earlier than I did typically when I went on dates, but things with Michael were a lot different than my usual dates. Usually I would have been out much later and my date probably would have walked me to my door. Hell, the date probably would have ended with a sweet goodnight kiss. Last nights date though was well beyond an ordinary date for me.

Stretching my arms over my head and letting out a yawn of my own, I pushed the button on our Keurig and began to make my morning coffee. No way was I going to be able to get this conversation started until I'd had that first little jolt of caffeine to my system. "Yeah. Things were a little different last night." I told Kaitlyn with a shrug. I really don't want to talk about it. Not yet. At least not until I'm more able to wrap my own head around things because yes, I do like Michael. I enjoyed his company last night and I really do think that things can be good between us.

It's just his ex-girlfriend that really pulls the rug out from underneath everything. That girl, Nelle, she can be manipulative. It didn't take me long to figure that out at all last night. And here I am looking for an uncomplicated relationship. Anything with Michael isn't going to be that way. He's got a past relationship with a child on the way that will make things difficult to say the least. I can't blame the baby and I want because any child is innocent in the actions and reactions of their parents. I don't fault him in the least for wanting to be there for his child. If anything, that really makes me respect him that much more. And I honestly can't say that the thought of Michael holding a sweet little baby in his arms didn't keep me up for a bit last night.

Kaitlyn waves her hand in front of my face for a moment and I have to shake myself out of my thoughts. "Care to share?" she asks with a small smile as she grabs the creamer.

"Not right now." I tell her. "I just… I want to think somethings through first." It's not that I don't trust Kaitlyn, it's just that this is something I don't think she can really help me with too much. At least not until I know if I really want to put myself out there with Michael. I took a quick glance at the clock on our stove as I took a long sip of my coffee. "I need to get changed if I want to get my run in before work." She simply nods at me and waves me off as I make my way back to my bedroom. My morning runs are those times early before work that I can get my mind right for my job. I'm a nurse and I absolutely love being able to help the people of our town. It's really something that I've always known that I wanted to do.

It thankfully never takes me long to get changed into my workout gear and to pick up my iPod before I'm ready to head to Port Charles Park. The weather had looked promising before I tucked myself in last night, I just hoped that it would hold out for the entire day. After pulling my hair up into a ponytail, I'm on my way out the door for my morning jog and to clear my head to prepare for work.

Michael's POV -

First thing this morning I'd headed straight to the Metro Court for a conversation with my mother. No way was I going to continue living under the same roof as Nelle. I just can't do it any longer. She needs to not have the idea in her head that we're going to get back together because of our baby. And the first step in hopefully fixing that and with being able to move on with my romantic life is to move out. I know it will be upsetting to grandmother, but I will always come back. I want the Quartermaines in my life just as much as I do my mom and dad. It doesn't matter to me any longer that I'm a Corinthos by adoption. Family is and always be very important to me.

But for now, I know that I need to check in with my dad and make sure that Grandpa Mike is doing okay. If I'm lucky, maybe I can sneak in a visit with Avery before I need to head in to the office for the day. Anytime something doesn't seem to go right in my life, I can spend a little time with my baby sister and everything just seems to turn right around. That sweet little girl is a major light in my life and I know that my unborn child will be the same as well when he or she gets here. As for the babys' mother… well… I'm hoping that I won't have to deal with Nelle too much once our baby is born. I'm going to be very hands on and spend as much time with our son or daughter as I can, but I'm going to make sure that Nelle knows that nothing will ever happen between us again.

As I walk inside Greystone Manor and look around, I notice it's a little quieter than usual. "Dad? Mike?" I call out the further I walk inside. It really isn't like there not to be someone in the house. Thankfully, as I walk into the living room I spot Avery playing with some of her toys. She's being watched by Max. "Hey, Avery! Max." I say in greeting, stooping down to see just what my sister is playing with. "Where's the nanny?"

"Family emergency." Max replies. I know he used to watch over me and Morgan when we were kids, but there was also always a nanny on hand when Morgan was this little. Or at least Milo. "And since Mike had his appointment with Dr. Munro this morning, you're dad and Dante are with him."

"Why don't I take Avery to the park for a little while? The weather's nice and I'm sure my mom can take her or get Mercedes to watch her for a couple of hours." I suggest. Max is good with kids and it's kind of surprising that he doesn't have one or two of his own, but I think he's just so focused on his work for my dad and his relationship with Diane to have ever settled down that much on his own. "You'd like that wouldn't you, Avery? We can feed the ducks and maybe check out the swings?" My little sister looks up at me with the biggest grin as she nods her head. She loves the park. And I will always do anything I can to make sure there is a smile on her sweet face.

"Max, if Dad and Mike get back before we do or my mom, just let them know that I have Avery." I say, standing up and scooping my sister up into my arms. With a squeal of a giggle from Avery, I take her out into the entryway to grab her jacket and help her into it. I don't get to take her out to the park as much as I did when I lived here, so it's nice to get in a little extra time with her when I can. "Maybe we'll even stop by Kelly's before we come back for a cookie."

Francesca's POV -

I'd only been running through the park for twenty minutes when I spotted that familiar blonde hair. I hadn't built up even the slightest sweat yet thankfully as my eyes landed on the duo. It literally made me stop moving as I watched him holding a small childs' hand, pulling a smile onto my lips. Even from this short distance, I could just tell that Michael is going to be an amazing father. He's so attentive to the little girl and it's obvious that she adores him. My heart is literally melting as I watch him drop to his knee and hold open a bag of what I can only assume to be bread. Fluffy yellow ducks are quacking and walking around the two as I take a step closer. And that's when his gaze moves in my direction and his smile only seems to get that much brighter. It's not like I can leave now. Not now that Michael has spotted me.

"Hey!" Michael says as he looks up at me.

I can barely pull my eyes away from him to look towards the little girl, but it doesn't take much for me to stoop down so that I'm eye to eye with the both of them. "Hey!" I reply softly. "And who is this little cutey?"

He holds out the bag again for her to reach into. "This is my sister, Avery." The little one turns her attention to me and with a slightly shy smile, she holds out her tiny hand to me. I take it without question and give it a small shake.

"Well hello, Avery. My name's Francesca… and I'm a friend of your brothers." I say not really knowing how else to introduce myself. But I can tell from the smile still gracing Michaels' lips that I've said the right thing. "And I see that you are a great friend of the ducks. They can't seem to get enough of that treat you've brought for them this morning."


End file.
